Gravity freight-carrier.



No. 824,943. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906. R. P. MATHEWS & c. H. LISTER.

GRAVITY FREIGHT. CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.19, 1904.

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I PATENTED JULY. 3, 1966. R. P. MATHEWS & c. H. LISTER.

GRAVITY FREIGHT GARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED D2019, 1904.

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110.824,!948. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906. R. P. MATHEWS-6: 0. H. LISTER. GRAVITY FREIGHT CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.19, 1904.

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RUFUS P. li'lA'Tilllflll'S A B ll) CHARLES H. LlS'lER, OF ST. PAUL, MlNNESOTA.

ZERAVIT! FREIQHT .Epecification of Letters Patent.

GARPlER.

Patented July 3, 1908.

To .fI/H/ whom it stay concern:

Be it known that we, RUFUS P. lvL-i'rnnws and CHARLES H. LISTER, of St. Paul, Ranisoy county, Minnesota, have invented. oer tain new and useful Improvements in Gravity Freight-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to carriers used in unloading or loading 'h'ci ht or transferring it from one car to soother, and the primary objects of the iii volition are, first, to provide a carrier that portable, being made up of independent se arable sections that can be easily separator; and moved from place to place; second, to provide a. carrier that is strong and durable, being capable of withstanding the wear and rough usage to which an article of this kind would be subject; third, to provide a. carrier that is of simple and economical construction that can be manufactured and sold for a comparatively low rice.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as heroine described, and particularly pointed out in his claims.

In the accompanying rowings, forming part oi this sp oiiicstion, Figure 1 is a perspectire View rot-ins; our gravity-can nor in i a coin View or rier used for iiierchsndise. is a plan adapted part1 glee in buncln showing a vice j w Fig. f i gle-oerrier, i, employed with genera an that usually hipped in h l 6 is a transstrilting the shingle retariling device in action. Fig. 7 is a detail of the coupling employed at the curve oi the sh n-- gle-carrier. Fig. is a sectional View oi a ortion of the carrier, showing the form oi 'nge 0r coupling employed between the sections of the on" her. i G is a plan view of the'same, on ll :1 end views.

In thorn wings,- Fig. have illustrated the carrierin use for cad-lug a car 'iioned within 1 r to place the ELLEN s on thecarricr her in the warehouse or plati'orm is where the bundles are to be verse section. ilh

stored to receive thorn from the carrier. The

tervals between the bars of each pair, prevent them from being drawn together sufficiently to clamp the antifrictiomwheels and prevent their free revolution. 9 represents a series of idle wheels, preferably oi meta-l, supported upon pins 10 and arranged to revolve freely between the bars, projecting a snfiicient distance above the same to engage the article of merchandise passing over the carrier and prevent it from contacting with the rails. There may be any desired number of these wheels, as may be found necessary from experience in using the carrier, and we have found those of metal best suited for the purpose on yccount of their greater durability. The sections of the carrier may be of any suitable length, and to unite them at the ends we prefer to provide coupling devices, which we will now p'roceed to describe in detail.

The abutting ends of the bars or rolls are beveled on the under side, as indicated at 11 in Fig. and castings 1:2 and 13 are secured, respectively, between the ends of the bars of each section by bolts 14, suitable hubs 15 being provided on each casting to form a long bearing-surface on the bolts and prevent lat oral movement of the castings between the bars. The casting 12 has a fork 16, that projects beyond the beveled portion of the bars. and is adapted to receive the end 17 of the cast ing 13, that is held in place in the fork by a pivot-pin 18. The castings are so ad usted that when fastened together suifioient space will be provided between the abutting ends of the pairs of bars to allow a slight vcrticol oscillating movement and permit the carrier to adjust itself to its supports and yield slightly, if necessary, when the load passes over it. The shape of the castings 12 and 1-3 prevents the use of the wheels 9 near the ends of the rails and supporting the packages moving bi gravity between the pairs of bars, means connecting the pairs or rails at intervals, and suitable couplings connecting the abutting ends of the sections.

A portable gravity-carricr comprising se arable sections, each section consisting of si e rails coin osed of bars arran ed in pairs with a space )etween the rails or each pair, antifriction-wheels having their hubs supported in bearings between the rails of each .pair, the upper portions or said Wheels procctin above the upper edges oi: the side rails, blocks separating the rails of each pair and said Wheels, rods connecting the pairs of rails at intervals, and suitable couplings piv orally connectin the abuttingends of the sections.

3. A portable gravity-carrier comprising separable sections provided with antifrictronwheels that project above the top of said sec tions, and said sections being provided with castings pivotally connecting their aouttiru ends, one castirn having a depending for-lien end toreccive adepending tongue on thccasting of the abutting section, substantially as described.

i. In a gravity freight-carrier, the co1nbinationwiin two contiguous sections having abutting ends, the rails of said sections being corn osed of bars arr 'ngt eir lower abutthig corners beveled, castings secured between the pairs of bars of the respective sections and depending past said bercled corners, the castings of one section being forked wherein tongues provided on. the sections are pivoted, substantially as described.

5. In a gravity height-carrier a section comprising side rails composed of parallel bars with spaces between them, castings pro- ;vided at the ends of said section between said 'bars, antitriction'wheels mounted at intervals between said bars the Wheels at the ends of said bars near said castings being of less diameter than the others and supported near the upper edges of the bars, substantially as described;

6. A gravity freight-carrier comprising rails having ,antifriction-wheels. mounted thereon at intervals, acurve provided in said carrier and a retarding device ar engage the packages passing around said two.

7. In a gravity-carrier, theconibinatioti. with two contiguous sections having abut ting ends the rails of said sectionsbciriv composed of bars arranged in pairs, castings secured between the bars of each pairof the re spective sections and depending below the bottom of'said rails and: the castings of one section being forked wherein tongues pro.- vided on the castings of the other section are pivoted, substantially as described.

8. A-gr'avity freight-carrier -provided with an adjustable said curve, for

a curve in combination with retarding dev arranged on the purpose specified.

J. A gravitywarrior comprising sections having coupling devices at their ends and a retarding device n'iountcd on onc oi said sections and arranged to project into the path of the pac go passing tlicrtmvorv substantially as described.

10. A gravit i-mn'rier comprisingsections having side rails composed of bars arranged in pairs with a space between th m, blocks separating the bars of each pair, rods passing through said bars and blocks and connecting one pair with another, and antifrictionwheels arranged between the bars of each pair and projecting above the top thereof, substantially as descril 2d.

11. In a gravity-carrier, a curved section havin side rails, narrow-laced idle wheels arranged between the bars of each pair and projecting above the same, and said wheels revolving in planes that intersect at right angles the radii of a circle whose arc coincides with the curve of sai d section, the wheels of the inner rail alternat ng substantially i n position with the corresoomiing wheels of the outer rail.

12. The combination, in a gravity carrier with straight sections, oln. curved section anged in pa and he;

uniting two straight sections arming-ml substantially at right angles to one anothcnsaid curved section having side rails and a series of an-tiiriction-wheels mounted therein and projecting above said rails, the wheels of the inner rail alternating substantially in positlon with the corresponding wheels oi. the

fringed to outer rail, and all of said Wheels revolving in plant-as that intersect at right angles substantially the radii of circle Whose arc coincides with the curve of said section, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with a gravity freight-carrier provided with a curved. section, of a retarding device arranged to ch,- g'age the under side of the packages passing over said curved section.

14. Agravity-carrier composed of scparablc sections having side rails and antifriction-wheels projecting above said rails and having their hubs supported in said rails bolow-their upper edges, and separable cou plin connecting the contiguous ends of. said sec- ;tions said couplings consisting of castings sccured to the ends of said sections and having depending pivotally connected forks and tongues. I'. Agravity-carrier comprising a series of portable sections having a coupling means at their ends, and each section. comprising side rails and narrotv faced idle Wheels journaled therein, the bearings of said wheels being below the upper edges of said rails and the peripheries or bcaring-surfaces of said wheels being above said upper edges, and the wheels composed 01? bar; arranged 1 prevent package. ,mqving by gm over from dro ping down between '1'} em and contacting with said rails, substalljaily as described.

16. A gravitycarrier having side rails composed of ham; arranged in pairs with spaces between them, and 11ar1'0'.v-f&ced antifricuion-whsls having their hxibs kfirnaied in said rails, the upper partion of W 16615 projecting fibOVr) the taps of mid rails and supporting the packages mm ing gIfrLYi-ty [flocks separaiang-me 3 8-? each pan, and rods wrmectmg m pairs Q? thereover,

intervals, substaniqmily as derscribed'fi 17. A graviuy sarrie? hm ""g side rails airs Wifih -1acerl antispaces between them, and narrow frictionheels 11 Ring their hubs supperi-ed iwe-tween'the rails 01 eaeh pair, the upper por tion of said Wheels projeati g above the 0f said mila and suppqrt moving by g yivherep ier, the wln eeis mils at the p ackaggjs 0%; e-ch z'a il being sufiiciently near together t6 prvenp. ihe mticles thereon from dropping bat'wgaen said Wheels and. gontacting with said mils, substan tialiy as described.

18. A gravitymarriex' cnmprisihg a series of 8601510115 having a'c-auphng means at then feuds, and. each 880511011 eompnsnng s1de rafls and mm: .ywimed idle Wheels journaled-tlierin,- the pezdpheries cr 'be'aringaurface of said wneelsbeing abeve said'mils, and the Wheels of each mi being sufficiently near together to pz'evem packages moving by gravity there- ,over frem. dropping down betwean them and.

cwnmcting Wiih said. rails, substantially as 11; Witness hereof We have hereunto set on hands this "l2th'day of Decen lber, 190}.

RUFUS PL {MATHEWS CHARLES H. LISTER; 

